Negrense Donnie NietesNietes became the third Filipino four-division world champion Monday night after beating Japanese pug Kazuto Ioka for the vacant World Boxing Organization superflyweight title at the Wynn Palace in Macau.

With his new championship belt, the soft-spoken world champ from Murcia, Negros Occidental joined an elite club of four-division titlist that only had Manny Pacquiao and NonitoDonaire as members.

Banking on a 14-year winning streak, Nietes defeated Ioka by split decision. His experience merited him the approval of two of the judges.

The two judges, who saw Nietes winning, gave out 118-110 and 116-112 scorecards respectively, while the other judge had it 116-112 for Ioka.

Nietes remains unbeaten as well in his last 35 fights dating back to 2004.

Ioka lost for just the second time in his career, seeing his nine-game winning streak come to an end.

Nietes got the belt on his second try as he bounced back from his failure to capture the championship against Aston Palicte, in an all-Filipino bout at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California on Sept. 9 that ended in a split draw.

Similar to how the judges scored the Nietes-Palicte bout, the Nietes-Ioka match ended in a split decision.

In a back-and-forth action that saw both pugs having their own share of good rounds, Nietes emerged victorious over his Japanese foe.*